Hold Fast
by WeBuiltThePyramids
Summary: When Ralph is rushed to the hospital during a university lab, everyone has doubts. Has Paige let him grow up too quickly? Should Walter keep his distance? And if Happy and Toby's test results are accurate, are they up to the task, considering how much risk is involved in merely existing? (Set mid to late S3, Established Quintis, pre-relationship Waige.)
1. Chapter 1

**This fic is going to be three or four chapters (depending on how I break it up) and I expect to have the entire thing posted over about a week or so. I'm still working on editing through Serendipity, so look for an update soon on that one, but I'd been outlining this one since May and I figured it was time to stop putting it off.**

* * *

They usually chatted on the way to work, but even though excitement was the predominant emotion in the air, both Happy and Toby were fairly silent as they navigated L.A.'s busy streets. She supposed they were still processing.

"We'll have to get a blood test to be sure," Happy said, breaking the silence. "You're a doctor, you know this isn't a guarantee. These things are wrong all the time."

"Sylvester would tell you they aren't wrong as often as implied by that frequently said statement," Toby said. "Statistically, you're pregnant. We're pregnant. With a little Quinn – Curtis."

"Quinn – Curtis," Happy said to herself.

"That's a pretty B.A. name, you know," Toby said, "but if you're hyphenating when we get married, we probably shouldn't name him Quinn Quinn – Curtis."

"Hey," Happy said, feigning offense, "am I hyphenating, or are we both hyphenating."

"Both, both," he said, smiling. "Toby Quinn – Curtis and Happy Quinn – Curtis. Those names have beautiful rings to it, just like the beautiful ring on that finger of yours."

Beautiful wasn't the word Happy would use. Something could be perfect and not be beautiful. If the ring was beautiful, Happy probably wouldn't have liked it.

Not that she really ever said the word _perfect_ out loud, but it was still true. She looked down at the ring, running the pointer finger of her other hand over it.

"Look, promise me you won't say anything to them?" Happy gestured forward as the car pulled into the garage parking lot.

He reached over and squeezed her hands. "Of course not. Even if we were sure, we don't have to tell people right away. It's actually _not a good idea_ to tell people right away." He smiled. "Plus, I kinda want our baby to be _ours_ for a little while."

Happy nodded in agreement, giving Toby a tiny smile. Most of her completely agreed with her boyfriend – well, fiancé, but she didn't like that word; it seemed too old fashioned, almost silly – but a tiny part of her wanted to talk about it. At least to Paige.

Happy normally didn't like discussing personal matters with anyone. But a part of her was scared. Scared of being a parent in general, scared of not doing a good job raising a child that could potentially not be like her. But Paige. Paige had raised Ralph, and for seven years, she'd done it alone. If she could do that, Happy and Toby could surely manage together.

They survived drownings and nuclear weapons and machine guns and dangerous chemicals; they could certainly navigate parenthood. Even if the child was nothing like them.

She jumped at a pinging sound as Toby put the car in park. "Oops," he said. "We need gas. Ah well. If we have to go anywhere today, we can take the company car."

"Go get gas," Happy said as she unbuckled her seatbelt. "Walter was quite detailed in what he'd do to you if you called his car the company car again and if you're going to raise a kid with me I need you conscious."

Toby chuckled, looking at her affectionately. "Alright. See you inside in about a half hour."

"Kay." She leaned over, kissed him, and exited the car.

No one looked at her differently upon entering the garage – Paige smiled in her direction, Sly waved from his blackboard, and Walter didn't move a muscle. Happy knew it was illogical, but she felt like with every step she took, someone was going to gasp, point, and shout _you're pregnant!_ Maybe the reason no one was was the test was actually wrong?

Happy shook her head. She was thinking completely illogically.

Crossing over to her workstation, she was satisfied in noticing that nothing had been touched overnight. She was about to settle in when her eyes fell on Walter, and she rolled her eyes, stood up again, and walked over to his desk.

"So you still haven't talked to her."

"Hmm. What?" His head jerked around to face her, looking completely confused.

" _Walter._ I swear to God."

"What?" He said again, as if he had no idea what she was talking about.

"Walter, you keep staring at her."

"No," Walter said. "I'm deep in thought. My eyes have to be pointed somewhere, it doesn't mean I'm actually focused on what's in their line of sight."

"Their line of sight is _always_ Paige," Happy said.

"Well the position of our desks naturally increases the odds of her falling into my line of vision if..." He trailed off when Happy grunted and shifted her weight. "I can't. I'm not good for her."

"How on earth do you know that?"

"Because."

He sounded like a child. Happy shook her head. "Walter, I know by this point you're used to your head being in your ass, but it's actually not _supposed_ to be there."

He grunted.

"Just talk to her. Remember how nice it was back when you guys first admitted to your feelings? You were on the same page. Communication was open. Then somewhere down the line it shut down and you both have been tense and agitated. Just open that communication again."

"I can't." Walter bit his lip, looking up at Happy. "Last time she did it first. How do I know how she feels now? Mine..." he took in a shaky breath. "Mine have gotten stronger. What if hers went away?"

"If she didn't have feelings for you anymore you guys wouldn't be acting like you both are." Happy glanced toward Paige's desk as her cell phone rang. "Neither of you are happy right now. Just walk up, say you need to talk to her, and tell her how you feel. And even if for some reason she doesn't reciprocate, at least you'll know. Hiding from it just means you're okay with living in denial. We're geniuses. We don't deal in fantasy. We like what's real."

"When it comes to her..."

Walter trailed off. Happy knew what he was thinking. Of course he didn't behave like Walter the Genius when it came to Paige. Love was illogical, and they all knew it.

"Walter. Talk to her."

There was a long silence. Then Walter sighed. "When she's off the phone."

"I've heard that before."

Walter glared at her.

"Okay, but I'm warning you," Happy said in a low voice. "If you back off again I'm going to stand up, and in a very loud voice I'm going to ask you if you're sure you didn't have anything else to tell her."

"Don't."

"Then do."

They both looked toward Paige's desk. Her back was to them, hunched over, a hand over the ear that didn't have the phone. Happy couldn't make out what she was saying, but she could catch the overall tone of Paige's voice, and it alarmed her.

She glanced at Walter. He'd heard it too. "Something's wrong."

She nodded. "I think so."

"Hey team!" Cabe marched into the garage.

"Do we have a case?" Sylvester asked. "I'm still working on my..."

"No case," Cabe said. "I'm waiting to hear back from Homeland, though. They may want you kids to come in and give some sort of training course to the..." he trailed off when he noticed Happy and Walter. "Something the..."

They motioned with their heads toward Paige, who had just hung up the phone and stood up, looking startled to now have four people staring at her. Her face, while it didn't tell the whole story, confirmed Happy's suspicions. Something was very wrong.

"I..." She paused for a brief second to take a breath. "Ralph's been rushed to the hospital from college. He has a strangulated hernia." Her voice cracked. "And he's being put into emergency surgery. I...I have to go."

"I'll drive you," Cabe said quickly. "Sly, Walter, Happy, follow in someone's car." He put his hand on Paige's back as the two rushed out of the garage.

"Take Sly," Happy said. "Toby has gone to get gas. I'll ride with him when he gets back."


	2. Chapter 2

Toby didn't protest when Happy insisted on getting behind the wheel for the drive to the hospital. For all he said about her driving, it _was_ faster than his driving.

"Do we know if there was a bowel resection involved?" He asked.

"You can ask when we get there," she said through clenched teeth.

"If a bowel resection is involved, the chance of a fatality is twenty times more likely. It was already seven times more likely because of the emergency surgery."

"Uh huh."

"It's safer if surgery to repair a hernia is done on the patient's own terms," Toby said. "But of course, we don't know how this happened. And we know had Paige known, she would have gotten it taken care of."

"Of course she would have," Happy said, "she's the best equipped out of all of us to be a parent. And she still wasn't able to predict this."

"Happy." He reached out and placed a hand on her leg. "This doesn't mean we're going to be bad parents."

"I know that."

He cocked an eyebrow. "Do you?"

She glared at him. "Yes, I do. But it does raise other questions. We have dangerous jobs. On any given day we could be blasted with poison gas, or radiation, or we could drown, or suffocate, or suffer third degree burns. We're always in danger."

"Lots of people have dangerous jobs, hey!" Toby said as Happy flew through a questionable yellow light. He cleared his throat. "The military, stuntmen, even less obvious ones, like construction workers. It doesn't mean they can't or don't have children. We can have a family of our own and still work for Scorpion. And it doesn't make us bad parents."

"That's _not_ my _point_ ," she said, turning into the hospital parking lot and following the signs to the right door. "Look at this, with Ralph." Finding a spot, she pulled all the way through, so it'd be easier to get out later. Stopping the car and putting it in park, she turned to Toby. "There was no way to know this was going to happen. It's like you said – if Paige _had_ known, she would have prevented it from getting this bad. We could come home safe every single day of our lives and something could still happen. To us. Or to the kid."

"Sure it's a risk," Toby said. "But it's worth it."

She lifted her eyes to his. "How do we know?"

"Because being alive is a risk. But we still live."

* * *

As soon as they entered the waiting room, it was obvious that it wasn't good news.

Paige was standing at the desk, tapping her fingers as she spoke tensely with one of the nurses. In the middle of the room were twelve chairs, set up back to back. Cabe stood near them, Walter and Sylvester sat with their backs to each other. Sylvester stared down at his hands as he wrung them. Walter looked tiredly in the direction of the desk.

"What's the news?" Happy asked, all business, walking over to the other all business member of the team.

"If you don't mind me borrowing the phrase," Cabe said quietly, glancing in Paige's direction, "it's not good."

"The hernia is involving his bowel," Sylvester said, glancing up at her and Toby.

"That makes it twenty times more likely to be fatal than if it wasn't the bowels," Toby said, gritting his teeth. "Good God. How's Paige holding up?"

"Barely." Cabe glanced over at her again. "She keeps going over what the nurses have told her. Right now I think she's demanding updates as soon as they know them if not sooner."

"She's strong," Toby said. "But it's good that we're here. This is one of the hardest things to face, especially if..."

"Ralph will make it," Walter said, not looking at Toby, not moving an inch.

"I'm not saying he won't," Toby said. "Just that it's always good to have support. And Ralph, he's one of us."

"Do we have any idea how it happened?" Happy asked.

"No," Sylvester said. "One of his college classmates said he just doubled over and..." he stopped, biting his lip. "He collapsed and was holding his side and they screamed for the teacher." He lowered his voice more. "Paige is convinced that it wouldn't have happened if she didn't let him go on all these location labs. He may have gotten a minor injury that exacerbated because he wanted to keep up with the older kids. Who knows."

"Happy. Toby." Paige was walking back toward them. None of this had been happening just two hours before; she'd slept well the previous night, but her face was pale and drawn and she looked as if she hadn't closed her eyes in days. "Thanks for coming."

"Of course, Dineen," Toby said, giving her a quick hug. "No news yet?"

"Since it's an emergency, it's more complicated." Paige paused for breath.

"Hernia surgery can take as little as thirty to forty five minutes," Toby said. "But that's when it's a scheduled procedure. This won't be the same kind of wait as a heart transplant, but we could be here a little while yet."

"And afterward, he'll have to stay," Paige said. "Overnight. They'll want to watch for infection."

"We'll stay here with you," Cabe said, reaching out and touching her elbow.

Paige gave a small smile, wandering off toward the large window, crossing her arms and beginning to slowly pace.

Happy and Toby sank down on the chairs, just down from Walter. Sylvester tapped his foot nervously against the floor as Cabe stared at the lock, as if willing time to pass more quickly.

Twenty minutes passed. Happy knew, because that was as long as it took for her to recite four times the inner monologue she'd used growing up to convince herself that eventually, everything would work out. When times were good, she used it as a timekeeper. Now she fell back on it for the same comfort she required as a sad, bitter adolescent. She focused on it, on the soft footfalls behind her as Paige slowly wandered back and forth by the window, and on Toby's hand as he absentmindedly rubbed her back, his hat in his other hand, tapping against his knee.

If she didn't, she'd be focusing on the embryo inside of her that would one day, most likely, be sitting in a room like this, terrified for one of their parents, or for their own child, or maybe she and Toby would be sitting here, worrying like Paige was now.

Because she _was_ pregnant. She'd get the blood test, sure, but she already knew. She felt different, even before she didn't bleed on schedule. She just hadn't realized that there was a reason for those nuances. She knew.

Toby was right – being alive was a risk in and of itself. But, Happy rationalized, things could be a lot worse. She and Toby had each other. They had the entire team that would risk their lives for them in an instant, without being asked, and who would wait with them through any uncertainty, as long as it took.

Happy looked over. Paige stood in the corner, pausing in her pacing to stare out the window. Her arms were folded, and she was swaying slightly, perhaps from fatigue, perhaps from as subconscious need to keep moving. She got up and moved across the aisle of chairs, dropping down next to Walter, who was shifted sideways in the chair, and, like earlier, was staring in her direction. "Walt. Go to her."

He shook his head. "She wants to be by herself."

"How do you know that?"

"Well, she's not over here."

" _Walter_." She spoke his name through gritted teeth. "What is the matter with you?" She was already talking quietly, but she dropped her voice even more. "I'm not saying walk over there and tell her that you're in love with her. I'm _not_. But go over there and _show her_ that you're in love with her." She glanced back at Paige, who was biting her lip as she paused her cadence to stare out the window. "Paige is terrified right now. And I could go over there and try and comfort her but we all know – well, all of us but you and her know anyway – that you're what she needs right now. Go be there for her. That's what someone who loves her would do."

Walter continued to stare in Paige's direction for several seconds, then stood up. Happy watched as he crossed the room, walking up behind her, reaching out and placing a hand in the small of her back as he came up next to her. There was a pause, and then she turned her head toward him.

* * *

Walter's worry for Ralph was reflected one thousand fold in Paige's eyes. She looked at him and blinked. He pressed his hand gently into her back as she angled toward him, feeling the need to somehow – even though she could see him – let her know that he was there. They stood in silence for several seconds. Then she shook her head, her face contorting. Her lips moved, forming her son's name, even though no audible sound came out. She stepped against him and he enveloped her in his arms.

Her body was hot, as if she had a fever, and she felt so small. He'd had his arms around her before – the occasional casual hug, or for safety reasons, or when he was vulnerable, grieving his sister, needing her to help him stay upright. She _was_ smaller than him – but not as _much_ smaller as she felt in his arms right now.

"He's going to be okay," Walter murmured, sliding a hand up around the back of her head. "He will. He's incredible. You know that. You knew that long before you knew of his genius."


	3. Chapter 3

**Lol so remember when I said this fic would be all published in like a week? Oops. Anyway, here's the final chapter. Every time I say I'm gonna finish this or catch up with that, life throws me yet another curveball. But anyway, here's how it ends.**

* * *

Happy was leaning back in the chair, legs stretched out in front of her, a hand on her stomach, just below her rib cage. The baby was much lower, almost in between her hips, but Toby didn't think she was intending to rest her hand over the little Quinn – Curtis. Still...it was a nice thought.

He looked over at the rest of the group. Sylvester's knees were shoulder width apart and he was staring down between them, at the carpet, not moving a muscle. Cabe was leaning against the wall, his arms folded, staring out past the younger generation at the other groups of people in the room. Toby was reminded of a guard dog his parents had had when he was younger. Cabe was most certainly on guard, though he couldn't protect them from whatever Ralph's condition might be.

Paige and Walter had ended up on one of the padded benches near an exit, and she was leaning forward, her face resting on her hands and her elbows looking as if they were uncomfortably digging into her knees. Walter was leaning forward as well, a hand on her back, their heads tipped toward each other as they waited in silence.

The phone at the desk ringing jolted them out of the almost hypnotizing hum that was the normal indistinct chatter of the waiting room and nearby stations. Happy rose to her feet, starting to pace. "Still nothing?" Sylvester asked, shaking his head. "It's taking so _long_."

"Should be any minute now," Toby said, looking at the clock and feeling anxious. It _had_ been a bit longer than he had been expecting.

"I just need some good news. Anything." Paige shrugged her shoulders, leaning her head against Walter's shoulder. "Seriously, just tell me the _weather_ will be nice tomorrow. I need something."

"I'm pregnant."

All heads, including Toby's, turned slowly to look at the mechanic. Cabe's jaw unhinged. "What?" Sylvester blurted.

Paige stood up shakily, holding her hands out as she walked slowly toward Happy. "Are...are you serious?"

Happy nodded, staring straight ahead, her eyes not focusing. "Uh...uh – huh."

"Oh my God." Paige took the younger woman's face in her hands and pressed their foreheads together. "Oh Happy." She smiled. "I'm so...so thrilled for you two. You're going to be amazing."

Toby marveled at how Paige, terrified for her own child, could be so genuinely happy about her friends' pregnancy. But he watched as she wrapped her arms tightly around Happy, her posture still betraying her exhaustion, her face still pale and her eye still red, but, despite everything, a smile still on her face.

"Congratulations, you two," Cabe said, walking over and patting Toby on the back as Sylvester jumped up and hugged both Happy and Paige together.

A door opened, and everyone jumped, looking toward it. A doctor exited, walked past the group, and approached another cluster of people standing by the vending machines. One of the men in the group started to cry.

Paige pulled away from Happy, wringing her hands and looking back toward the door. Walter jumped up, getting to his feet just in time for her to stagger backward against his chest, covering her face.

"Paige," Cabe said, reaching toward her.

"Why haven't we heard anything yet?" Paige asked. "We should have heard something by now."

"Oh, God." Happy put her hands to her temples.

"Hey, what's..." Toby leapt up to stand next to her.

"I made this about our baby. And Ralph could be..."

"No no no," Toby said. "You saw the smile on Paige's face. This is hell, Hap, and for a moment she was thinking about something else. For a moment she was able to be happy...or at least a little happier."

"But you said it wasn't a good idea to tell people right away."

"I take it back. That was the perfect time to tell people."

"Ms. Dineen?"

Everyone fell silent again as another doctor approached Paige. Her hands gripped Walter's wrists as she rested against him, eyes wide as she stared at the doctor. "Y – yes?" She managed.

"Your son is out of surgery. We were able to repair the bowel. He's very weak, and he's still in a bit of pain, but we're managing it. We have to keep him overnight – at least – but his prognosis is fairly good."

"Oh," Paige said, the single syllable conveying every emotion she'd felt in the past few hours. "Thank God." Her eyes closed, betraying her fatigue, then sprung back open. "Can I see him?"

"Annabelle will take you back," she said with a nod. "Providing he continues to respond well, you can stay for a while."

Paige nodded, standing upright and clearing her throat. "Okay. Thank you. Uh, can uh..." she gestured to Walter. "Can he come?"

"If you'd like."

Happy sank back down on one of the chairs, and after a moment, Toby dropped back down beside her. "Do you feel better or worse? Now that everyone knows."

"It feels more real. Which is weird, because it already felt really real."

"It _is_ real," Toby said, brushing a strand of hair back away from her face. "And it's scary. I know that."

"You're not scared."

"Sure I am."

"Well, I'm not."

Toby cocked his head in surprise. "No?"

"No. Not anymore." She looked in the direction Walter and Paige had gone. "I think it's kind of incredible."

"Yeah." She shrugged. "I think anyone who has something they're that scared to lose is..." she shrugged again. "Kind of lucky."

* * *

"Hey, baby," Paige said, rushing across the tiny room and pushing the boy's hair back, for something to do.

He smiled weakly. "Hi, Mommy."

Walter's heart ached. Ralph only said _mommy_ when he was scared.

"I'm right here, baby," she said, her voice shaky as she bent down to kiss his forehead. "Oh, it's so good to see you. How do you feel?"

"I'm tired," he said, and they could hear the truth in his voice. "They said I'm going to be okay."

"You are," Paige said, sitting down on the bed at his shoulder. "You're going to be just, just fine."

"Walter."

The boy's other hand flexed against the sheet, and Walter rushed to Paige's side, reaching across the bed and curling his fingers around it. "Hey, Ralph. It's good to see you awake."

"They said I'll want to sleep a lot until tomorrow."

"That's okay." Paige said. "I'm going to stay right here with you." She kissed the top of his head, then returned her lips to his forehead. "Do you remember what happened?"

"No." He shifted his weight, wincing slightly. "I'm sorry I made you worry."

"Don't worry about it," Paige said reassuringly.

"I can still see the marks you've left on Walter's arms."

"It's okay, buddy," Walter said, squeezing the boy's hand. "We just...love you. That's all."

Ralph smiled. So did Paige. "Yeah," she said, looking at Walter before returning her gaze to her son. "We love you. So much."


End file.
